Winter Premier Auction 2017

Besides being the Rams starting halfback, Fred Gehrke was an artist and designer. The University of Utah art school grad worked as an aircraft illustrator for Northrup in the off season and was offended by dull football helmets worn by he and every other pro football player. Before 1947, no one ever thought to put a graphic on, or even paint the leather helmets - that is until Gehrke came along. The halfback/artist took an old helmet and painted the whole thing bright blue and added the now iconic gold rams horns on each side. The results were visually outstanding and Rams owner Dan Reeves loved the look. For the price of $1 per, Gehrke spent the entire summer of 1948 painting all 75 of the team’s helmets, and for the next several seasons the halfback traveled with a gold and blue touch-up kit so he could do quick repairs after each game. When plastic helmets replaced the old leather models in 1949, color and graphics were baked into the shell so Gehrke was able to put the paints away and concentrate on his playing career. This is one of Gehrke’s incredibly rare hand-painted Rams helmets. The Airlite leather and rubber helmet shows tremendous game use. The original Gehrke-applied paint scheme shows scuffs and abrasions and some crackling with age - but it has held up remarkably well considering it is seven decades old and used in countless football games. The chinstrap his been broken where it adjusts and secured on the left side but is still attached to the opposite ear piece. The interior displays perspiration staining and good wear but everything remains intact. An incredible piece of early NFL history.